Burglars broke into the Horseshoe Saloon early last Tuesday and made off with about $3,500 in cash, according to co-owner Mike Miller.

The thieves apparently came prepared with tools, prying their way in with a crowbar, sawing and hammering through the safe kept in the back walk-in cooler.

Adding insult to injury, Miller said, they even pilfered a few hundred dollars in a separate location — money donated by patrons and clearly earmarked for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

“Stealing from charity,” Miller said, “it doesn’t get much lower than that.”

He said every outside electrical cable was cut — including telephone and satellite television — to disable the alarm, and two windows were broken.

“They trashed the bar including the pull tab drawer and it appears they then went straight for the safe, which tells us they were familiar with the place,” Miller said.

Miller and primary owner Jim Rimoczi have reason to believe the break-in occurred just before 6 a.m.

Woodinville Police Chief Sydney Jackson is not unfamiliar with the mode of operation, as similar incidents have recently occurred at nearby McCorry’s on The Slough and Chan’s Place downtown.

“I can’t comment on leads at this time but I can tell you they are all related,” Jackson said. “This remains an active investigation.”

Meanwhile back at the Horseshoe they were in recovery mode, installing a new security system, reconnecting cables to electronic components and replacing shattered windows.

Miller took a half-filled glass approach about taking such a loss.

“We’re certainly not happy about it but we’re glad none of our people were around to maybe get hurt and we’ll forge ahead and be just fine.

“Some of our regular customers have stepped up to help out, which is great. It’s just a drag to think that these creeps were casing the joint, drinking in our bar. They had to know where that safe was.”